Envelop-machine.



PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.

B. F. BERRY.

ENVELOP MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 1903 N0 MODEL 3 a g r l :W

II JFHQEIAHE."

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N0. 777,588. PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904. B. P. BERRY.

ENVELOP MACHINE.

APPLIUATIDN FILED NOV. 27, 1903.

N0 MODEL 6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904. 7

B. F. BERRY.

ENVBLOP MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV. 27, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 777.588. PATENTBD 11m. 13, 1904.

" B.F.BEERY.

ENVBLOP MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 27. 1903.

N0 MOD EL. 6SHEET$"$EEET 4 PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.

B. F. BERRY. ENV ELOP MACHINE. APPLICATION rum) 110v. 27. 1903.

6 8HBBTB-SHEET 6' NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

BENJAMIN F. BERRY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ANY SIZE ENVELOPE& MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

A. CORPORATION.

ENVELOP-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,588, dated December13, 1904.

Application filed November 27, 1903. Serial No. 182,720. (No model.)

To a. whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. BERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Machines, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a machine for gum- Ining, folding, and pastingblanks into the form of envelops, the object of the invention being toproduce a machine of this character of the simplest form, while at thesame time obtaining satisfactory results.

The construction of the machine is of such nature as to provide for theproduction of envelops of various sizes.

The invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a side elevation of my machine. Fig. II is a rear elevationof the lower portion of the machine at the side shown in Fig. I. Fig.III is an elevation of the side of the machine opposite that shown inFig. I. Fig. IV is an enlarged View of the envelop-feed-roller andtape-driving-roller gears. Fig. V is an enlarged rear elevation of theupper part of my machine. Fig. V1 is a vertical transverse section takencentrally through the machine. tion taken on line VII VII, Fig. V. Fig.VIII is a vertical section taken on line VIII VIII, Fig. VII. Fig. IX isa horizontal section taken' approximately on line IX IX, Fig. VIII. Fig.X is a horizontal section taken on line X X, Fig. VIII. Fig. X1 is ahorizontal section taken on line XI XI, Fig. VIII. Fig. XII is ahorizontal section taken on line XII XII, Fig. VIII. Fig. XIII is ahorizontal section taken on line XIII XIII, Fig. VIII. Fig. XIV is ahorizontal section taken on line XIV XIV, Fig. V., Fig. XV is a verticalsection taken on line XV XV, Fig. V, through the dash-pot of themachine. Fig. XVI is a horizontal section taken through the yieldingbearing of the envelop-pressure feed-roller of the machine. Fig. XVII isa view of the Fig. VII. is an enlarged vertical sec mechanism forstopping the operation of the gumming-rollers with the shaft thatcarries said rollers shown in section, taken on line XVII XVII, Fig. V.Fig. XVIII is a view illustrating the blank from which the envelops areproduced in my machine. Fig. XIX is a view of the finished envelop.

1 designates one of and 1 the other of the side frames of my machine.These side frames are surmounted by a table 2. In the table 2 is alongitudinal slot 3. (See Figs. VI and VII.)

4. designates side gage-stops and 5 a rear gage-stop on the table 2. towhich the envelopblank (shown in Fig. XVIII) is presented to lie acrossthe slot 3 in the table, through which it is folded and pressed in amanner to be hereinafter set forth.

6 designates the main driving-shaft of the machine, to which is fixedthe drive-pulley 7, that receives a belt 8. (See Figs. I, III, and IV.)The drive-shaft 6 extends trans versely of the machine through both ofits side frames. Fixed to the drive-shaft, preferably at the far endfrom that to which the drive-pulley 7 is secured, as shown, is agearwhcel 9. (See Fig. I.) This gear-wheel rcceives a drive chain orbelt 10, that leads to a gear-w heel 11 to convey power to a shaft 12,journaled in the machine side frames.

13 designates a crank fixed to the shaft 12 to rotate therewith. To theouter end of this crank is journaled the lower end of a pitman 14:, theupper end of which is journaled in a boxing 15 through the medium of apivot-pin 16. (See Figs. I, V, and XIV.) The boxing 15 is carried by amember to be presently referred to.

17 designates a guide secured to the side frame 1. This guide extendsvertically and is of box-like form, as seenin Fig. XIV, and has in oneof its walls a vertical longitudinal slot 18. The guide is located in aposition approximating that of the slot 3 in'the machine-table.

19 is a vertical slide-bar operating in the guide 17 and by which theboxing 15, that receives the connection of the pitman 14, is carried,thereby providing for the vertical reciprocation of said slide-bar inits guide upon the rotation of the crank 13, by which the pitman isdriven.

20 is an arm extending horizontally from the slide-bar 19. This armcarries a blade 21, that depends therefrom directly in vertical linecorresponding to the longitudinal extent of the table-slot 3. This bladeis designed to reciprocate vertically through said slot during thereciprocation of the slide-bar 19 to fold the envelop-blank downwardlythrough the slot, and it is directed in its movement by a guide 22. (SeeFigs. III, V, and VI.)

23 designates a standard projecting upwardly from the guide 17 in theline of travel of the slide-bar 19, and in the upper end of which isjournaled a pulley 24. is a traveling weight that rides in engagementwith the standard 23, as seen in Fig. V, and which is flexibly connectedto the slide-bar 19 or its arm 20 by a chain 26. This weight by itsconnection withthe blade-carrying members operates to assist in theraising of said members each time that the blade 21 is elevated andserves as a counterbalance member for the blade and the members by whichit is carried. For the purpose of furnishing a cushioning action for thetraveling weight 25 I utilizea dash-pot 27, that is mounted beneath theweight and is provided with an air-exit 28. (See Fig. XV.) Thisdash-pot'receives a piston 29, carried by a rod 30, fixed to the weight25 and adapted to enter the dash-pot as the weight approaches the lowerlimit of its travel. As the piston so enters and travels downwardly theair in the dash-pot is gradually forced therefrom through the exit 28.thereby affording a gradually-yielding aircushion beneath the pistonthat obviates the occurrence of a sudden jar as the blade-carryingmembers of the machine are operated upwardly to their limit, and thetraveling weight is consequently lowered to the terminus of its travel.

31 designates a rack having its upper end fixed to the slide-bar 19 andits lower end fixed to the boxing 15, projecting from said slide-bar.

32 is a trip-collar adjustably secured to the rack 31, so that it may bemoved vertically thereon to any desired position. The utility of theseparts will be hereinafter set forth.

33 and 34 designate two series of envelopconveying tapes, which arearranged to travel in similar directions and between which the envelopsare received at a point A (see Fig. VI) after being produced andconveyed to a point B for discharge. The tapes 33 pass around adriving-roller 35, located at the point A, thence downwardly and beneathrollers 36 and upwardly to a roller 37. located at the point B, fromwhich the tapes return downwardly and rearwardly to the tightener-roller38, and then again upwardly to the drivingroller 35. The tapes 34 travelon a drivingroller 39 and descend therefrom to the rollers 36. fromwhich they pass upwardly to a roller 40 and return to the driving-rollerbeneath a tightener-roller 41. (See Fig. VI.)

42 designates upper and lower horizontal bars provided with slots 43 andextending transversely of the machine between the upper portions of theside frames 1 and 1. Attached to these slotted bars areenvelop-directing uprights 44, (see Fig. V,) in front of which theenvelops travel while being folded in a manner to be described.

45 is a vertical plate extending upwardly from the upper slotted bar 42immediately beneath the slot 3 in the table 2, this plate being providedwith a longitudinal horizontal re cess 46. (See Figs. VII and IX.)

47 designates a rotatable shaft journaled in the side frames 1 and 1 ofthe machine forward of the vertical plate 45, and 48 designatesgumming-wheels adjustably mounted on said shaft to be shifted intovarying positions thereon, as desired.

49 designates paste-pans in which the gumming-wheels 48 rotate toreceive a continuous supply of gum or paste, the surplus of the adhesivesubstance gathered thereby being removed by scrapers 50, secured to thepans 49 and straddling the gummingwheels. (See Figs. VII, VIII, and IX.)The paste-pans are upheld beneath the gumming-wheels by supporting-bars51, to which the pans are adjustably held by slip-collars 52, containingset-screws 53. 1 Provision is thus made for adjustment ofthe paste-pansto correspond to any adjustment of the gumming-wheels.

54 designates yielding pressure-arms,which are secured to a shaft 55(see Figs. VI and VII) and the free ends of which extend to the verticalplate 45 to bear against the envelopblanks as they pass downwardlybetween the vertical plate and the gumming-wheelsadjacent thereto.

56 designates a pair of upright folding-member carriers that areshiftably and adjustably secured to the horizontal slotted bars 42 bybolts 57 (see Figs. V, VI, VII. and V111,) said carriers being designedto be moved toward or away from each other in line with the tableslot 3to provide for the folding members supported thereby, being more or lesswidely separated, according to the size of the envelop being produced inthe machine and the flaps of which are operated upon by the foldingmechanism to be described. This folding mechanism consists of thefollowing parts:' The uppermost folding member of each carrier is aforwardly-inclined conical roller 58, carried by a shaft 59. The secondfolding member is a straight-faced horizontal roller 60, carried by ashaft 61. The next folding member is a rearwardly-inclined conicalroller 62, carried by a shaft 63, and the lowermost member is astraight-faced roller 64, having a rear working face 65 advanced fromeach frames carrier 56, as seen in Figs. VII and XIII, and carried by ashaft 66. The folding members or rollers just described receive and foldthe flaps of the envelops in a manner to be hereinafter moreparticularly referred to after said flaps have been gummed by the wheels18. When the envelops have traversed the folding members, they areimmediatelyreceived between a feed-roller 67 and pressure feed-roller68, located'beneath the folding members. The feed-roller 67 is mountedin fixed journals to rotate in a stationary position, While the pressurefeed-roller 68 is yieldingly held toward the roller 67 in slotted boxes69. (See Fig. XVI.) The shaft 70 of said roller 68 is therefore movedhorizontally in said box, and it is pressed rearwardly by bearing-shoes71, which are each equipped with a rod 72, having a head 7 3 located ina spring-box 7 1,containing an expansion-spring 75. The springs are putunder tension to the desired extent through the medium of setscrews 76.The shaft 70 of the roller 68 receives the connection at each of itsends of links 77, (see Figs. VI, VII, VIII, and XVL) which are pivotedto rocker-arms 78, fixed to a rock-shaft 79, journaled to the machineside frames. This rock-shaft bears a leverarm 80, which extends into thepath of travel of the boxing 15, carried by the slide-bar 19, so thatsaid boxing will strike the lever on each downward movement of saidslide-bar.

, 81 designates a rock-shaft journaled in the machine side frames inproximity to the gumming-wheel shaft 47. On the end of this shaft in thepath of travel of the trip-collar 32, carried by the rack 31 that moveswith the slidebar 19, is a rocker-finger 852, that is struck by saidtrip-collar when it descends thereto. Upon the other end of therock-shaft 81 is a cam 83.

8 1 is a spring-clamp that is fitted to the gumming-wheel shaft 47 andis provided with a yielding arm 85, that rests against a stud 86,projecting from the adjacent machine side frame, as seen in Fig. XVII.The free end of the clamp 8% extends to the cam 83, and therefore whenthe shaft 81 is rocked, through the medium of engagement of thetrip-collar 32 with the rocker-finger 82, pressure is exerted againstthe free end of said clamp to cause it to grip the gumming-wheel shaftand stop its rotation.

l willnext describe the mechanism through means of which the foldingmembers, feedrollers, tape-rollers, and gumming-wheel shaft areoperated.

87 is a gear-wheel fixed to the main driveshaft 6 to receive a drivechain or belt 88, that leads to a gear-wheel 89, carried by a stubshaft90. (See Figs. I1I,1V,VI.) On this shaft 90 is a spur-wheel 91 andagrooved pulley 92. 93, which leads upwardly to a second grooved pulley9 1, fixed to the gumming-wheel shaft The grooved pulley receives a belti 4.7 and through the medium of which rotation is imparted to saidshaft. The belt 93 is rendered taut by a tightener 95. The spur-wheelmeshes with a pinion,96, carried by the shaft 108, that extendstransversely of the machine,

as seen most clearly in Fig. V. The shaft 103 is provided with alongitudinal groove 104, and it bears a pair of bevel-gears 105, whichare shiftable thereon and held by set-screws 106, that entersaidlongitndinal groove. The bevel-pinions 105 receive bevel-pinions107, carried by the shafts 59 of the uppermost folding-rollers It willtherefore be seen that when power is transmitted to the shaft 103 it isimparted to the upper folding-roller. From the shaft of this roller thepower is conducted to the folding-rollers 60, 652, and 64 through themedium of a pinion 59, fixed to the shaft 9 59, and pinions 61, 63', and66' on the shafts of the last-named folding-rollers, that are connectedin train through the medium of intermediate pinions 108.

C designates the front of my envelop; D, the envelop-back; E, thepasting-flaps, and F the sealing-flap. The said flaps are carried by thefront of the envelop, as seen in the blank illustrated in Fig. XVIII,and assume the positions illustrated in the completed envelop. (Seen inFig. XIX.) In forming the envelop it is first folded on the transverseline, (inclicated at G on the blank,) and the flaps are then folded overonto the back I) by bending on the lines H.

Having now furnished a description of my machine, I will set forth theoperation of the parts during the production of envelops.

Power having been applied to the driveshaft 6 through the medium of itspulley and power-belt, the various gear mechanisms are set in motionthrough the connections described. During the rotation of the driveshaft12 the crank-arm 13 travels in a circular path and imparts reciprocatingmotion to the p'itm an 14, thereby reciprocating the slide-bar 19, towhich the pitman is connected. Each time that the slide-bar 19 descendsit carries with it the folding-blade 21, which descends onto theenvelop-blanks that are fed onto the table of the machine against thegage-stops 1 and 5. \Vhen the envelop-blanks are fed into such position,the juncture of the front and backof the blank at the location of theline G occuples a position 1nnned1ately above IIO the table-slot 3.Therefore as the foldingblade 21 descends onto the blank it folds itdownwardly through said slot past the vertical plate 45, and thepasting-flaps E of the blank travel between said vertical plate 45 andthe gumming-rollers 48, which last-named members are so positioned ontheir shaft as to be spaced a distance apart corresponding to the spacebetween the pasting-flaps. The flaps are thereby gummed ready to bepasted onto the back of the envelop when folded thereto. The foldingaction then takes place under the influence of the folding-rollers,during which period the folding-blade 21 remains within the foldedblank, as seen in Figs. X to XIII, inclusive. The forwardly-inclinedconical rollers 58 are first encountered by the pasting-flaps, and theflaps are bent to an outwardly-projecting obtuse angle with respect tothe folded blank, as seen in Fig. X. As the flaps proceed in theirmovement they reach the longitudinal straight faced folding rollers 60,and their bending is continued to position them at right angles to thebody of the folded blank, as seen in Fig. XI. The flaps are next engagedby the rearwardly-inclined conical folding-rollers 62 and bentrearwardly, so that they stand at backwardly-presented obtuse angleswith respect to the folded blank, as seen in Fig. XII. The blanks andtheir flaps then pass back of the roller 64, so that they are pressedbetween the rear working faces of said rollers and the folding-rollercarriers, as seen in Fig. XIII, where the flaps are pressed tightly tothe back of the blank, thereby completing the envelop. The course of theenvelop is continued after the flaps have been folded by reason of thecontinued descent of the folding-blade 21, and said blade passes betweenthe feed-rollers 67 and 68, its passage therebetween being permittedowing to the pressure feed-roller 68 being yieldingly mounted in themanner explained, so that said roller will move laterally as thefolding-blade reaches said rollers. Just at the moment the folding-bladereaches the rollers the leverarm 80 is struck by the blade-carryingslidebar boxing 15, and the rock-shaft 7 9 is rotated through the mediumof said lever-arm to actuate the rocker-arms 78 and links 77, throughthe medium of which the pressure feed-roller is drawn away from thefeed-roller 67. The folding-blade is therefore permitted to carry theenvelop thereon between the feed-rollers, and the rollers thereuponimmediately act to withdraw the envelop from the blade and transmit itto the conveying-tapes 33 and 34, which conduct it out of the machine.The folding-blade having reached the lower limit of its stroke when theenvelop is delivered to the feed-rollers immediately ascends under theaction of the pitman that drives it and passes above the table of themachine ready to convey the next blank downwardly into the machine.

During the period that the envelop-flaps are being folded it isdesirable to avoid rotation of the gumming-wheels 48 after they haveapplied gum to the flaps, as otherwise they would rotate against theface of the vertical plate 45 and impart paste thereto that would bereceived by the fronts of the envelop-blanks thereafter passing in themachine. I therefore provide for the stoppage of the gummingwheel shaftimmediately after the gummingwheels have performed their function. Thisstoppage is obtained through the medium of the clamp 84, which is causedto grip the gumming-wheel shaft in the manner explained each time thatthe trip-collar 32 passes into engagement with the rocker-finger 82,arranged in its path.

I claim as my invention 1. In an envelop-machine, the combination of afolding mechanism comprising a series of folding members consisting ofrollers of varying configuration to operate consecutively upon the flapof an envelop-blank, and means for presenting the blank to said foldingmembers comprising a folding-blade traveling entirely through saidfolding mechanism, sub.- stantially as set forth.

2. In an envelop-machine, the combination of a folding mechanismcomprising two series of folding members consisting of conical andstraight-faced rollers to operate consecutively upon the flaps of anenvelop-blank, and means for presenting the blank to said foldingmembers comprising a folding-blade traveling entirely through saidfolding mechanism, substantially as set forth.

3. In an envelop-machine, the combination of a folding mechanismcomprising two series of folding members, each consisting of anoutwardly-inclined conical roller, a straight-faced roller, arearwardly-inclined conical roller, and a roller having a rear workingface, and means for presenting the envelop-blank to said folding membersto permit their operation upon the flaps of the blank comprising afolding-blade traveling entirely through said folding mechanism.substantially as set forth.

4. In an envelop-machine, the combination of a pair of adjustablecarriers, a folding mechanism operatively mounted in said carriers andconsisting of rollers having varied configuration to operate upon theflaps of the envelop-blank, and means for presenting the envelop-blankto said roller comprising a folding-blade traveling entirely throughsaid folding mechanism. substantially as set forth.

5. In an envelop-machine, the combination of a flap-folding mechanism,means for presenting an envelop-blank to said folding mechanismcomprising a blade traveling entirely through the mechanism, and acontrolling weight connected to said blade, substantially as set forth.I

6. In an envelop-machine, the combination of flap-foldingmechanism,'means for presenting an envelop-blank to said foldingmechanism, comprising a blade traveling entirely through said mechanism,a controlling-Weight connected to said blade, and a dash-pot forcushioning the descent of said Weight, substantially as set forth.

7. In an envelop-machine, the combination of a folding mechanismcomprising a series of folding members consisting of rollers of varyingconfiguration to operate consecutively upon the flap of anenvelop-blank, a pair of feed-rollers for receiving the envelops fromsaid folding mechanism, and means for presenting the blank to saidfolding members and conveying the blank to said feed-rollers, said meanscomprising a blade traveling entirely through said folding mechanism,sub- .stantially as set forth.

8. In an envelo 'i-machine, the combination of folding mechanism, meansfor conveying an envelop-blank to said folding mechanism, and a pair offeed-rollers for receiving the envelops from said folding mechanism, oneof said rollers being shiftable with respect to the other, and means forautomatically moving said shiftable roller laterally, substantially asset forth.

9. In an envelop-machine, the combination of flap-folding mechanism, areciprocating blade for conveying the envelop-blank to said foldingmechanism, a stationary feed-roller and a shiftable feed-roller locatedadjacent to said folding mechanism, and means for automatically movingsaid shiftable roller When said blade approaches said feed-rollers,substantially as set forth.

10. In an envelop-machine, the combination of flap-folding mechanism, areciprocating blade for conveying the envelop-blank to said foldingmechanism, a stationary feed-roller and a shiftable feed-roller locatedadjacent to said folding mechanism, and means for automatically movingsaid shiftable roller when said blade approaches said feed-rollers; saidlast-named means comprising a rock-shaft connected to said shiftableroller and a leverarm actuated through the medium of a part by whichsaid reciprocating blade is carried, substantially as set forth.

11. In an envelop-machine, the combination of envelop-folding mechanism,a gumming- Wheel shaft, gumming-Wheels carried by said shaft, a clampmounted on said gumming- Wheel shaft, and means for automaticallytightening said clamp to said shaft at a specified period during theoperation of the machine, substantially as set forth.

12. In an envelop-machine, the combination of folding mechanism, meansfor presenting an envelop-blank to said folding mechanism, agumming-Wheel shaft, gumming-wheels carried by said shaft, a clampfitted to said gumming-wheel shaft, and means operated by saidblanlepresenting means for tightening said clamp to said gumming-wheelshaft at a specified period during the operation of the machine,substantially as set forth.

13. In an envelop-machine, the combination of folding mechanism, a bladefor presenting the envelop-blank to said folding mechanism, areciprocating member by which said blade is carried, a rack carried bysaid blade-carrying member, an adjustable collar secured to said rack, agumming-Wheel shaft, gummingwheels carried by said shaft, a clampmounted on said guinming-Wheel shaft, and means actuated by saidrack-collar for tightening said clamp to the gumn'iing-Wheel shaft,substantially as set forth.

BENJAMIN F. BERRY.

In presence of i It. S. lliivroirr, N ELL'IIG V. ALEXANDER.

